Crew movie review: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon sneak a smile onto your face in this heist comedy.
Cast: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh, Kapil Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Saswata Chatterjee
Director: Rajesh A Krishnan
Writers: Nidhi Mehra, Mehul Suri
“Iss coffee ke sau dollars diye hain. Main toh iska jhaag bhi pee kar jaongi,” Geeta (Tabu) says nonchalantly and continues to take a sip while her partners-in-crime, Jasmine (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and Divya (Kriti Sanon) rise to their feet for their next plan of action.
Rajesh A Krishnan’s latest heist comedy Crew glitters the most in such relatable ‘middle-class’ moments than in gloss. And guess what, there is enough stock of such ‘ha-ha’s to keep you entertained until the flight (film) lands on the runway.
What’s Yay: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, breezy writing for a major portion
What’s Nay: Some convenient tropes that’s dropped in the second half
Story
Crew takes off with three air hostesses- Geeta (Tabu), Jasmine (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and Divya (Kriti Sanon) who work for Kohinoor Airlines, owned by a flamboyant billionaire Vijay Walia (Saswata Chatterjee). Ahem ahem, reminds of a certain Vijay Mallya? Coming back to the plot, right at the beginning of the film, the trio land themselves in a soup after an anonymous tip-off points at them, allegedly smuggling gold via their flights.
Through a quick flashback, we are introduced to the lives of our three protagonists. The pill-popping Geeta (Tabu), a former Miss Karnal, wishes to open her own restaurant in Goa with her home-chef husband (Kapil Sharma). The sassy Jasmine (Kareena Kapoor Khan) has queen-sized dreams which range from splurging on Louis Vuitton and beamers to starting her own makeup brand. On the other hand, a slump in the aviation industry causes Divya (Kriti Sanon), a trained pilot to settle for a flight attendant’s job and conceal this truth from her parents.
As the trio wade through their monotonous job, unpaid salaries and mounting bills and loans, a small tragedy on their flight gives them an idea to earn some quick buck right under the nose of the sedulous airport inspector Mala (Trupti Khamkar) and Customs officer Jaiveer (Diljit Dosanjh).
However, their joy is short-lived when Kohinoor Airlines collapses under massive debts and Walia flees the country. Angry by the turn-of-events, Geeta, Jasmine and Divya decide to give the absconding tycoon a taste of his own medicine with their own style.
Direction
Why should boys have all the fun? Rajesh A Krishnan’s Crew runs on this thought. In the middle of big-ticket action entertainers and political films, the director brings a plane (film) that’s light-hearted, pleasing to the eye and most importantly- driven by women.
You completely dig into all the razzle-dazzle because of some clever writing by Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri. There are no preachy speeches on feminism or women empowerment. Right from the first frame till the last, the film is self-aware of itself and wants you to just soak in all the madness and fun.
The women in Krishnan’s world have their own agency. They make their mistakes and learn from them. They can be glam as well as brains. Even when the film runs out of fuel at places, Krishnan and his team of writers make sure that it does not induce any yawns.
But this flight isn’t complete without its share of bumps. The writing takes a hit in some portions especially post interval as certain absurdities and conveniences seep into the plot. A part of heist that takes place in the swanky hotel could have been injected with more wit.
Performances
Rajesh A Krishnan’s Crew mostly soars high; a big credit goes to its stellar star cast. Beginning with Tabu, is there any instance when the actress hasn’t impressed us on screen? In this film too, her performance lands perfectly. Be it her occasional sprinkle of profanities or her ‘middle-class’ liners, Tabu has all your attention on screen.
Kareena Kapoor Khan makes you go ‘sona kitna sona hain’ with her chutzpah every time she appears on screen. When not dropping fashion goals, she is busy stealing your hearts. Kriti Sanon stands tall and holds her ground while sharing screen space with seasoned performers like Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Collectively, this trio set the screens on fire with their hotness and livewire chemistry. Like they say, “naina da kehna di asi tera mukhda dekhte rehna ni.”
While Diljit Dosanjh leaves you swooning over him even in his limited screen space, Kapil Sharma also puts up a good show.
Technical Aspects
Anuj Rajesh Dhawan’s lively frames and colors make Crew appealing. Manan Sagar keeps the film sharp with his effective editing.
Music
The reprised version of Ila Arun’s ‘Ghagra’ has enough ingredients to take the nightclubs by storm. ‘Naina’ sung by Diljit Dosanjh and Badshah, makes for another foot-tapping number. The raunchy ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ is a decent recreation.
Verdict
Throughout the film, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Jasmine often has a Plan B ready in case things don’t go as planned. Well, you don’t need one if you are stepping out to watch Crew. Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon ‘risk it, fake it and steal it’ to make sure that you have fun at theatres.
